Fastening device



Nov. 1, 1949. w. w. GARDNER FASTENING DEVICE Filed Dec. 31, 1946INVENTOR Milam I7? an/mfr BY Y TTORNY Patented Nov. 1, 1949 'UiNsI TED STATES PAT EN T OFFICE FASTENING DEVICE -Wallace W.Gardner, GlenRock, N.J.

. ipplicaltion"Deceniber'31, 1946,'Serial'N0. 719,542

4 Claims.

,The present invention I*relates Ato a fastening device, or sticker andmore particularly to a fastening deviceiadapteditobelsecured,to asurface and to hold anoticeforfanarticle to be exhibited.

.Itis generallycustomaryzto 4post notices, advertisements or .articleson Abulletin boards by means of thumb ,tacks :or by first perforatingthem andfilinglthem -on-anail or peg. The rst method objectionablesinceit `perforates the backing andinmanyinstances it is desired to postanoticezor lsupport an article on a hard surface whichcannotbepenetratedby a thumb tack. .PuttingLthenotices-or articles on nails orpegs: offers the ldisadvantagethatl only an uppermost noticeisvisiblesand since theinails or pegs are iiixed in :position Litis notfeasible to place thenotice, advertisement or thelike at a mostdesirable Llocationon :the bulletin board or surface.

EIt has been 1 attempted Ato post .notices or displays by utilizingpasteor/adhesive. Thismethod may be satisfactory .in .instances where anadvertisement or'noticeiisfglued'to the bill board over itsentire area..'Attemptingto retain notices or .displays by ameans of vadhesive onlthe rear surfaces .oiers fthe objection that the adhesive area .is Ynot'.always :located at the `most advantageous' position for securing-.itlto4 abulletinboard or other hacker. With suchmethods'the noticeor'displayvis.notlreadilyremovable :and is generally torn or damagedduring removal. Accumulation :of such :pasted `areas, Aon a bulletinboard "requires scraping and refinishing of the board after itlhaslbeenin luse for vraperiod of time.

The present invention aims .to `overcome the above and .otherdisadvantages .or 4.objections 'by providing a new and :improvedDfastening :device adapted to beausedifor:retainingmotices, displays orl' other articles inipositionffon :a supporting surface. .The invention=further contemplates the provision ofza fastening'fdevice'onstickerthat may be .readily .removed i'from :a supporting surface with -a:minimum :tendency "to atear .the 4notice l'or display'4 which isattachedzto' it.

An object of the present invention :is tto .provide .fa new .andfimproved :fastening rdevice.

`Another object-tof the finvention iis to provide a .newzand improved.ffastening :rlevicenwhiclr may be readily placed :in ,position toretain :an :article.

.Another object of=.the inventionzisitorprovide a new and `limprovedfastening :device 1whiclfi may be :readily .'removed `from 'a supportingsurface.

Another object of the invention l'is =to fprovide a rfastening device.which is reinforced .for facili tating removal .from .-a supportingsurface.

Another object of .the .invention is .to iprovide a .newand improvedfastening device which may be manufactured from .a single piece 4ofmaterial.

Other and further objectsof the invention will be obvious upon anunderstandingiof the illustrative embodiment about pto ,be described,vor will be -`indicated in 'the .appended claims, and various advantagesmot .referred to .herein will occur to one skilledintheartuponremployment of the invention inpractice.

.A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purpose ofillustration ,anddescription and is shown in the .accompanying drawings,forming a .part of the specication, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of the presentfastening device in an initial stage of manufacture;

Fig. 2 isa perspective View showing onesurface or side yof `thepreferred form .of .fastening `device;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the opposite surface of the`fastening'device illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview. showing apreferred form of completedAfastening device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

, Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the fastening device of Figs. 1through `5 in use;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken along the line 'l-J of Fig. 6;

`Fig.8 is aperspective ,view'showinga modified form of the-invention;and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the inventionalong the linesoi Fig. 8.

.Referring again .to the drawings, and more particularly toFigs. 1,2.=and 3 thereof, there is shown a preferred'form of thepresentfastening device or sticker. Fig. lsshows `an early state in themanufacture and illustrates a substantially `flat member I comprising anenlarged portion `2 and a portion or tongue 4 of reduced Width connectedtherewith. The yroughly T-shaped membershowniinlFig. l may bestamped outof or otherwise formed Afrom la large sheet of suitable, strong,ilexible material such as cloth, toughpaper Vor gummed tape.

"The enlarged portion 4vf2 of v'the member I is preferably provided'with van aperture or 1operi-` hesive, there ing 1. While this aperturemay be located at any convenient part of the enlarged portion 2 it isshown for purposes of illustration,- as approximately centrally locatedin the enlarged portion.

Preferably one surface or side of the member I is coated with anadhesive 5, the opposite surface being left free of adhesive so thatthere is no tendency for this latter surface to adhere with any surfacewith which it may be placed in contact. While any suitable type ofadhesive may be applied to the member I it has been found preferable toutilize a type which does not require wetting before application of afastener to a surface or article. Suitable adhesive materials are thosewhich may be referred to as rubber compounds and which are commerciallyavailable; this type of adhesive facilitates repeated application andremoval of an adhesive surface Without the appreciable deterioration ofthe adhering effect.

Fig.. 2 illustrates a subsequent step in the manufacture of the presentfastening device. In this figure the tongue, tab or portion 4 of reducedwidth is shown folded or turned to a position overlying the enlargedportion 2 of the member I. In this relationship the tongue extends overand covers the aperture 'I previously formed in the enlarged portion 2.The pressed together adhesive surfaces of the enlarged and reduced Widthportions of the member I serve to retain the tongue in foldedrelationship against the surface of the enlarged portion.

By reason of the somewhat smaller dimensions of the tongue portion 4there remains exposed a substantially marginal portion 8 coated withadhesive, which extends around a portionlof the folded tongue 4. Asshown in Fig. 2 this marginal portion extends around three edges of thetongue 4, which is shown as of substantially square shape. Since theexposed surface of the tongue 4 shown in Fig. 2 is not coated Withadpart of the fastening device When it is placed into contact with anarticle or a surface. The portion it adjacent the folded edge II of thetongue 4 provides a very desirable removal feature, which will behereinafter brought out.

In Fig. 3, which shows the opposite side of the fastening device of Fig.1, it will be noted that the adhesive surface I2 of the tongue 4 isexposed to view through the opening l in the enlarged portion 2 of thefastening member. Adjacent surrounding areas of the enlarged port-ion 2are free of adhesive and hence do not adhere to an article or surfacewith which the fastening device may be placed in contact. The onlyadhesive effect at this side of the fastening device is embodied in theexposed surface I2 available through the opening or aperture '1.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the fasteningdevice illustrated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 possesses adhesivesurfaces at opposite sides thereof. The effective adhesive surface atone side of the device (Fig. 2) comprises a substantially marginal area8v and the exposed or available adhesive surface at the other side ofthe device (Fig. 3) comprises that portion of the adhesive surface ofthe tongue 4 which is exposed through the opening or aperture I. Asbrought out hereinabove, the adhesive material or composition ispreferably one which readily adheres to various surfaces and yet whichmay be readily stripped from the surfaces Withwill be no adhering effectat that` out marking or marring the surface and without leaving adhesiveon the surface.

While the present fastening may be conveniently sold in packages in theform shown in Figs. 2 and 3 it may be desirable to minimize thepossibility of one or more of the fasteners adhering together by reasonof the normally exposed adhesive surfaces 8 and I2. In Figs. 4 and 5 thefastening device is shown combined with a means for minimizing thispossibility. As shown in each of these latter figures the fasteningdevice is provided with a covermember I6 fitting over the fastener andadhered thereto by the exposed adhesive surfaces 8 and I2. The cover ISmay be manufactured from gauze, cellophane, waxed paper or any othersuitable material easily removable by stripping it from the adhesivesurfaces. The feature shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is not absolutely essentialbut its use may be desired in order to minimize adhering together offastening devices or to prevent objectionable soiling of them.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the preferred embodiment of fastening device is shownin use applied to a bulletin board or other vertically disposedsupporting surface I3 and retaining in position a notice, display orarticle I4. The present device is preferably utilized with the marginalareas 8 adhered in position against the supporting surfaces I3 and withthe adhesive area I2 at the opposite side thereof adhesively retainingthe notice or article I4. The fastening device is shown with the foldedreinforced edge II located uppermost or in such position that it iseasily available for use in connection with removal of the fastener fromthe supporting surface. It was brought out in the description of Fig. 2that the surface I Il adjacent the folded edge II is preferably notcoated with adhesive; with this construction a thumb nail, knife, coinor other thin article may be inserted into the space I5 behind theunadhered surface of the fastener and intermediate the fastening deviceand supporting surface I3. As the folded upper portion I Il is pulledoutwardly away from the supporting surface I3 the adhesively securedmarginal portions at opposite sides of the fastening device move out ofcontact with the supporting surface I3. The folded upper edge of thefastener provides a reinforced or strengthened edge which facilitatesremoval from a surface with minimum danger of tearing the fastener.

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of the invention which is adapted to beused for retaining an article in display position. In this form of theinvention the fastening device is provided with an enlarged portion 2aand a portion 4a of reduced width similar to that described inconnection with the preferred embodiment. The tongue 4a and enlargedportion 2a are also preferably of one piece construction, ashereinbefore described. A substantially marginal area 8a is also formedon the enlarged portion 2a extending about the walled or turned tongue4a. The enlarged portion 2a may be provided with an aperture or openingfor retaining an article in display position.

In addition, the fastening device is shown provided with a string, wire,or other flexible member extending between the contiguous or foldedportions of the enlarged portion 2a and tongue 4a, with the ends of themember projecting outwardly for securing around an article to beretained by the fastening device. In use the device of Fig. 8 may bepressed against a wall or other supporting surface and retained inposition by the adhesive marginal areas 8a; the flexible member l1 maybe Wound or tied around an article. Here again the reinforced edge Illaformed by the turn I la of the tongue or tab facilitates removal of thefastener from the Wall upon insertion of a thumb nail behind the portioniErl. of the fastener.

In Fig. 9 there is illustrated a modified form of the inventiongenerally similar to that described in connection with Fig. 8. In thislatter form of the invention a exible member or string I'lb is shownextending through recesses or apertures I9 formed in the enlargedportion 2b of the fastening device. This modified form may be usedsimilarly to that described in connection with Fig. 8 and may be alsoeasily removed from a supporting surface upon insertion of a thumb nailor coin between the supporting surface and the reinforced turned edgelb.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a new and improvedfastening device or sticker which may be manufactured from a singlepiece of material and Which embodies a most desirable reinforced edgefeature for facilitating ready removal of the fastening from asupporting surface. A protective cover minimizes the possibility ofseparate fastening devices adhering together and maintains them inunsoiled condition. The modified form of the invention may be used forretaining displays, articles or irregularly shaped objects in viewingposition. One or more of the fasteners may be applied to any convenientposition on a surface and to any suitable part of a display or article;their use does not result in marring a wall or article.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein Without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and Without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a memberhaving a tongue of reduced width at one side thereof, said tongue beingfolded and, normally lying against a larger portion of said member, andan adhesive intermediate said tongue and larger portion and on an areaextending partially about said tongue.

2. A device of the class described comprising, a member having anaperture, an adhesive on one surface of said member, and a portion ofsaid member being folded upon itself to a position overlying saidaperture.

3. A device of the class described comprising, an apertured memberhaving a portion of reduced Width, adhesive on one surface of saidmember, and said portion of reduced width normally lying against alarger portion of said member and extending over said aperture.

4. In a device of the class described, the cornbination of a memberhaving a tongue of reduced Width secured to one side thereof, saidtongue beingrfolded and normally lying against a larger portion of saidmember, an adhesive intermediate said tongue and larger portion and onan exposed area extending partially about said tongue, and anarticle-securing member having a portion thereof retained intermediatesaid tongue and larger portion.

WALLACE W. GARDNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT

